Modern technology has made it possible for soft drinks, sodas and the like to be purchased and consumed in places other than a soda fountain. Prepackaging of single servings has made it convenient for the consumer to open and drink the beverage right from the container. While the techniques of packaging have also assured freshness and carbonation of the beverage, they have not assured the cleanliness of that portion of the container which comes in contact with the consumer's mouth. Before reaching the hands of the buyer, beverage bottles and cans pass from the bottling plant into warehouses, onto trucks and into supermarkets, restaurants or beverage machines. Throughout the entire journey, practically the entire bottle or can exterior is exposed to all forms of contaminants. During storage and transport, some bottles and cans tend to explode or break, often spreading the beverage over the adjacent bottles or cans. The drying residue is usually sticky, tending to attract even more dust and contaminants.
The "mouth-contact" portion of a beverage can, unlike that of a bottle, has an irregular contour making it difficult to clean off with a paper towel or shirt tail. The small, recessed groove just inside of the upwardly extending rim at the top of most beverage cans is often a reservoir of tiny particles which elude even the most persistent cleaning.
What is needed is a small, compact device which can clean off the entire top of the can, including the recessed groove and which is inexpensive and easy to use.